Selectmen are looking for a few handy men and women, as well as other volunteers, to help revitalize the abandoned John Van Gyzen Hall on School Street.

Selectmen Chairman Dean Cronin said that because the building has been abandoned for the past six months, the town has now taken control of the building.

Cronin said he and Selectman Patrick Menges toured the building.

“Needless to say, we were not very content or happy with how the hall was left,” Cronin said.

Cronin said that AmVets was the last organization to run the building. He said by law, another veteran’s group could have taken control of the building. But, since six months have lapsed, the town has control.

Cronin announced at Wednesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting that the town is looking for a “handyman or tradesman” to do volunteer work on the building. He said the town will have to hire a professional to revitalize the kitchen, which needs more thorough work.

Once the condition of the building has improved, Cronin said he hopes that residents could rent the building for holiday parties, weddings or baby showers and other functions.

Cronin said selectmen have also reached out to the state Alcohol Beverage Control Commission to determine if selectmen can grant one-day liquor licenses at the hall.

So far, selectmen have contacted the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant and electricity has been resupplied to the hall.

Selectmen said the building is more than 100 years old and was once used as a grammar school before various veterans’ groups started using it.

Cronin said he would be hard-pressed to find a town resident who has not set foot in the building for a function of some sort.

Those interested in volunteering to clean up or revitalize the building are asked to call the Board of Selectmen at 508-669-6431.